Nights
by Lady of Himring
Summary: You never know what the night will bring, sometimes shadows lurk hidden. And sometimes, love blooms under the moonlight. [Eventual Vamp!Arthur/Matthew, using a prompt table.]
1. Lonely

**Disclaimer:** Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya, I'm just playing in his sandbox. No money is made from this fanwork.

**Note:** This work is unbeta-ed, so feel free to correct any mistakes I might have missed. Constructive criticism and reviews are welcome. This series will be written using a prompt table (which you'll find a link on my profile).

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**Prompt** #13, Lonely.  
**Title:** "A Chance Encounter"

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Arthur was lonely, that was a given. After all, not many creatures of the night had friends, let alone lovers or mates.

Yes, he knew he could re-join his maker and his sisters; but on second thought more time with Ivan might drive him insane. And even if he'd rather die than admit it, he was far more afraid of Natalia than Ivan, at least angering Ivan meant a quick death, Natalia had the nasty habit of playing with her food before eating it. And then, there was Katya. Too kind for this un-life, who cried with each kill, but heaven help you should you harm either of her siblings.

So no, Arthur would rather roam the world alone. But there were nights when he would sit on someone's rooftop to watch the sky, sometimes talk to the moon and in some desperate nights beg to the stars. And there were nights, when loneliness would gnaw at his bones enough for him to miss his family; he the youngest of five had never been in the best of terms with his brothers, but he missed them now that they were long gone.

He hoped that some day, he would find someone that would like him (he wouldn't dare to hope for love) enough to walk the undead life with him. Maybe some day, he would find that one who wouldn't fear him, who would like talking to him, who would find him interesting enough to have a friendship… a companionship.

And it was on one of those nights when he met Matthew.

He was wondering around, no place in mind when he came across a couple of friends. What madness drove him to follow them, he could not say. But he did. They were young, 21 at most and loud. Specially one, Alfred, he heard the boy being called; but it wasn't him who caught his eye. It was the other one, they were brothers and it was plain to see. Their too many similarities for them not to be. But while one had bright and vivacious blue eyes, the other, Matthew, had soft purple ones. His eyes were bright too, but he could see a quiet calm in them that his brother's lacked.

So he followed, like a moth follows a flame. Far enough to be discreet, but close enough so he could see, so he could learn about his newly discovered object of attraction. There was a natural shyness about the boy that called to him, there was a second guessing in his actions and Arthur could sympathize, he'd been the second youngest of five sons and he could see how that boy could hesitate, almost a struggle to voice himself in the company of friends. But Arthur understood, having a sibling like Alfred, who was all spark and enthusiasm could make anyone second guess themselves. But, even then, there was a security on and about himself in his actions.

There was a moment, however brief, where their eyes accidentally met. And the boy had given him a smile and carried on with his conversation. And Arthur had to admit he was intrigued about this boy and, just like that, he made a decision that would change his life. He would find a way to meet Matthew, to know everything about him.

And Arthur smiled. And Arthur followed.

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**A/N:** All comments, reviews and constructive criticism are welcome, thank you for reading.


	2. Flicker

**Disclaimer:** Hetalia belongs to H. Himaruya, I make no profit of this fanwork.  
**Note:** Unbetaed, all mistakes are mine.

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**Prompt:** 04 'Flicker'  
**Title:** A Flicker of Shadows

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Matthew thought he was going crazy, or paranoid. And it wasn't a pleasant thought. Sometimes, when he was walking alone or in company, he could feel someone watching him. The heavy weight of someone's gaze at his back sent chills down his spine and, made the hairs of the back of his neck stand on edge.

Alfred had said that it was probably a ghost. Matthew had just sighed and rolled his eyes then, Alfred's penchant for horror movies made him afraid of ghosts and such; no matter how many times Matthew would reassure Alfred that they didn't exist. But now, Matthew himself had started to wonder. Certainly, a ghost was a better idea than going crazy or paranoid in Matthew's mind.

And some days, Matthew could see a shadow in the corner of his eye. The shadow would lurk hidden out of Matthew's sight, just a flicker in his vision. In and out it went, like a flickering candle. Always hidden and always silent .Some days, when he was alone, he could swear that he could hear steps. Ever so light and quiet, they would follow and stop when he did. His heart would speed then, fear racing throughout him, setting in the pit of his stomach. He would turn, sometimes, hoping to catch a sight of whatever or whomever it was that was behind him, only to find silence and nothing more.

He was, by all means, an adult; but the fear and the sense of dread wouldn't go away easily. Not fully. And he hated how weak it made him feel, how helpless he was. He could fight flesh and blood (did so many times in the ice rink), but shadows? He had no weapon to fight those. He would speed up them, rushing to the home he shared with Alfred and lock the windows and the door. Then and only then he could feel safe.

But he had no idea of the danger that lurked ahead. For his nightly stalker was there, hidden in the shadows. And he was waiting, patiently for the time when he could reveal himself.

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**A/N:** All reviews and constructive criticism are welcome and encouraged. Thank you for reading.


	3. Flower

**Disclaimer:** Hetalia and its characters belog to Himaruya, I don't profit from any fanwork.

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**Prompt #** 05 "Flower"  
**Title:** A flower bouquet"

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Matthew wasn't a morning person by nature. School and now work, would make him get up early, otherwise, he was the type of person who would lounge in bed after waking, until hunger or nature made him get up.

Today was one of those mornings and he had nothing to worry about, so waking up yawning and rolling, or at least tried to roll to the edge of the bed only to find his dog, Kuma, beside him. It must have climb at some point in the night; he was, according to his brother, a heavy sleeper.

But it was Sunday and there was nothing to do. Alfred was already gone by the lack of television sounds; he had a baseball game if Matthew wasn't mistaken. He hadn't made any plans for today, intending on staying home and catching up with his reading pile, so he figured he would have something to eat and then go back to bed and do nothing more than read. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he crossed the small space that separated his bedroom and the kitchen when he saw it.

There, in the kitchen table sat a bouquet of roses. Deep red roses that brought a smile to his face, they were his favorites after all. There was a note from Alfred in the fridge:

_-Bro, these came for you. Something you wanna share?_

Matthew just tossed the note on the trash and got the milk for his cereal, he knew by experience that Al would tease him until kingdom come, he had done so before and he'll do so again. Al would claim it was his right as a big brother to tease his little brother. He sat down on the table eating and looking at the flowers, they were beautiful, barely starting to open and releasing a sweet fragrance. And then he saw the not that was attached to the vase.

He picked it up, curiosity getting the best of him as to who could have sent them. Once he opened and read, he felt a chill run through him and panic beginning to rise:

_-You beacon me. You call to me. Don't fear me, for I won't hurt you._

_A._

The instinct to run and hide shot up. Every little fiber of his being felt on edge, the sense of dread coiling in his stomach. It was fear that made him take the roses and the note and trash them, his appetite gone he went straight to the safety of his room and locked his door. But fear remained.

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**A/N:** Unbeta-ed, all mistakes are mine, probably not my best chapter. I feel it's a little weak. Reviews and constructive criticism are very much welcome. And thank you to those who alerted the story. Hope you all enjoy and thank you for reading.


	4. Forest

**Disclaimer:** All Hetalia belongs to Himaruya. I don't make any profit from any fanwork.  
**Note:** There is a reason for my madness in this chapter, I swear!

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**Prompt #** 06 "Forest"  
**Title:** Lost

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He was officially lost.

Matthew had chosen to go out for a walk in the forest near his home. His nerves were still rattled, those roses had unnerved him and nature had always had a calming effect on him. So, he threw a light jacket on and went out.

The walk had done him a lot of good, he felt lighter and his worry began to fade. The lush greens of the woods and the sunlight made him happy. So he carried on, admiring the way the light played with the colors, looking at the flowers and the occasional squirrel that made its presence known.

But somehow, he managed to get lost. He stopped and looked around but didn't recognize the area where he was, he had strayed from the usual route and now regret was hitting him. He felt silly, he was usually so careful about wondering around and now, here he was, lost. He supposed there was a first time for everything.

However, being lost by himself and with no food or water in the woods, with the sunlight slowly setting, he had to admit it wasn't a good first time.

He looked around, trying to identify the place. He and Alfred would sometimes gather their hockey team and camp in the forest, so he began to search for a place that he recognized. He still had about one hour before sundown, so he had better hurry.

And then he remembered his cellphone and took it out and see if there was any signal. There wasn't. He began to feel a chill, a cold air started to blow and a light breeze began to roll in.

He kept walking, looking for anything that seemed familiar to him. Anything that he could use as a guide, but there was nothing. He was tired, so he sat down, maybe a break would help him. He rested his head against the trunk of a tree and closed his eyes and listened for any sound.

Nothing but silence and forest sounds. And then he heard it.

It was the snap of a branch and he sat up and called, "Is anyone there?" His voice sounded shaky to his ears. And waited for an answer. Nothing. And then, he heard it again; another branch that broke and he waited, to see if there was someone or just an animal. Nothing again.

This time it was the ruffle of leaves, this time closer. Matthew stood up straight and waited, looked around trying to find the source of the sounds, but he couldn't find anything.

He began to walk again, trying more desperately to find a way out of the forest. But the light was almost gone and the breeze had thickened.

"Is anyone there? Anyone can help me?" He called again and waited to see if anyone replied. Nothing but silence.

Matthew had begun to despair when he heard them. The sound of footsteps getting closer and suddenly…

"Need help?" Came a slightly accented voice.

Matthew turned around to find his savior. "Yes, afraid I got lost." He told the person that was hidden between the trees.

"Oh dear, that is not good. Come along." A pale hand extended itself towards Matthew.

And as Matthew drew closer, he had trouble distinguishing the man's features, save one. His eyes were green, deep and somehow old.

"Thank you, I am Matthew Williams. I'm really thankful you found me."

The man smirked. It was a fanged smirk. "Don't thank me just yet, poppet." And he lunged forward.

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Matthew woke with a start and a scream, his heart racing. Alfred busted in.

"You ok bro?"

"Yeah, when did you arrive?" He asked, trying to catch his breath and calm his heart. It was just Alfred, his brother. No one else, he was safe.

"'Bout half an hour ago, but you were asleep. So I just didn't tell you. We lost, by the way so you didn't miss much."

"Sorry you lost Al. Pizza?"

Alfred's smile was radiant. "Already ordered, it should be here soon."

He smiled in return. "Great."

"Hey bro... about those rose..." There goes his smile.

"I'm sure it was a prank by the guys, most likely Francis, you know how he is." He tried to smile again to reassure his twin. It came more like a grimace.

"You sure?" Eyebrow arched Alfred glared at his twin. "Or just don't want me to know?" He pouted then.

"No bro, a joke I'm sure", Matthew laughed at his brother's pout. He always managed to look like a puppy.

A ring from the doorbell. "Pizza!" Alfred ran towards the door and, Matthew had never been more happy about pizza.

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**A/N:** I swear guys, they'll meet, I promise! And I know, my longest chapter yet. Anyway, reviews, constructive criticism and any feedback is welcome and encouraged. Thank you for reading.


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